Benson Idahosa University (BIU), a private Christian institution located in Benin City, Edo State, runs a Medicine and Surgery programme under its Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences. The programme trains students toward the award of the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree, following the standard structure used across Nigerian medical schools, which combines a preclinical phase in the basic medical sciences with a clinical phase involving hospital-based training and rotations.
As of mid-2026, the programme reached a significant regulatory milestone: the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) granted BIU’s medicine programme its first clinical accreditation, following a rigorous assessment by a 13-member MDCN team. This accreditation allows the university to conduct Part II and Part III Professional Examinations in Medicine and, importantly, to graduate its first set of medical doctors. Alongside this accreditation, the Council approved an increase in the university’s admission quota for medicine, raising it from 50 to 100 students per session. This development matters directly to prospective applicants, since it confirms that a BIU medical degree carries the professional recognition required for graduates to proceed to internship and full registration as medical practitioners in Nigeria.
Why Accreditation Status Matters Before Enrolling
Before committing to any medical programme, a prospective student should always confirm the current accreditation status of that programme with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, since this determines whether the degree is recognized for professional licensing. In BIU’s case, its Medicine and Surgery programme has moved from a partially accredited stage to holding full clinical accreditation as of 2026, which is what makes it possible for the university to run Professional Examinations and produce graduates eligible for the mandatory one-year housemanship (internship) that all Nigerian medical graduates must complete before full registration. Candidates applying for the 2026/2027 session are entering the programme at a stage where this accreditation milestone has already been secured, which strengthens the long-term value of a BIU medical degree compared to earlier admission cycles when the programme held only partial or interim status.
School Fees for Medicine and Surgery at BIU
Medicine and Surgery sits at the top of BIU’s fee structure, alongside Nursing Science, Engineering, and Law, reflecting the extensive laboratory work, clinical training, specialized staffing, and hospital-affiliation costs associated with running a medical programme. School fees for Medicine and Surgery at Benson Idahosa University range from approximately ₦5,029,000 to ₦6,500,000 per session, depending on the level of study and the specific charges applicable to that session. This figure places BIU’s medical programme within the mid-to-upper range of private medical school fees in Nigeria, and it is considerably higher than the university’s general undergraduate fee bracket, which for non-medical courses typically falls between ₦642,000 and ₦1,207,000 per session depending on faculty.
Table: BIU Fee Comparison Across Selected Programmes
| Programme | Estimated Fee Range (Per Session) |
|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | ₦5,029,000 – ₦6,500,000 |
| Nursing Science | Among BIU’s highest-cost programmes, alongside Medicine and Engineering |
| Engineering courses | Up to approximately ₦1,207,000 |
| Computing courses | Up to approximately ₦1,207,000 |
| Agriculture | From approximately ₦642,000 |
| General undergraduate courses (Arts, Social Sciences) | ₦436,000 – ₦800,000 |
This comparison shows why Medicine and Surgery stands apart from every other faculty at BIU. The gap reflects the cost of running a functional teaching hospital affiliation, cadaver and dissection facilities, clinical simulation equipment, and the higher staff-to-student ratio required for medical training.
Payment Structure and Installment Options
Benson Idahosa University allows students, including those in the Medicine and Surgery programme, to pay their school fees in installments rather than as one lump sum at the start of the session. Students are generally required to pay at least 60 percent of their sessional fees before first-semester course registration, with the remaining 40 percent due before the start of the second semester. This installment structure is particularly relevant for medical students given the size of the total fee, as it allows families to spread the financial commitment across the academic year rather than raising the full amount at once.
The university also applies specific payment deadlines that apply broadly across faculties, including Medicine and Surgery:
- April 30: Deadline for returning students to complete payment of tuition fees.
- August 31: Deadline for newly admitted students to pay acceptance fees and other associated charges.
- December 15: Deadline for payment of second-semester school fees.
Students who miss these deadlines risk being barred from sitting examinations or, in more serious cases, may be asked to defer their admission to the following session. Late payment also attracts additional penalty charges, which can accumulate to around ₦25,000 depending on how long the payment is delayed.
Acceptance Fee and Other One-Time Charges
Every newly admitted student at BIU, including those admitted into Medicine and Surgery, pays a non-refundable acceptance fee to confirm their offer of admission. This fee is generally set at around ₦50,000 for undergraduate programmes and must be paid before the student proceeds to pay tuition or gains full access to registration on the school portal. Beyond the acceptance fee, fresh medical students should also budget for a general institutional charge that covers administrative processing, which some fee schedules list separately from the acceptance fee itself.
What the Medicine and Surgery Fee Typically Covers
The school fee for BIU’s Medicine and Surgery programme is structured as a consolidated charge covering tuition, laboratory access, library services, ICT infrastructure, and basic clinical training costs during the preclinical years. As students advance into the clinical phase of the programme, where teaching hospital rotations and direct patient-facing training begin, additional charges tied to clinical postings, professional examination registration, and specific departmental requirements may apply on top of the standard session fee. Hostel accommodation is billed entirely separately from the school fee at BIU and is not included in the medicine and surgery figures listed above, so students planning to live on campus need to budget for this as an additional cost.
Admission Requirements for Medicine and Surgery at BIU
Gaining admission into BIU’s Medicine and Surgery programme requires meeting both the university’s general entry standards and the specific, more demanding requirements attached to regulated professional courses. The key requirements include:
- O’Level credits: A minimum of five credit passes in the Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC or NECO), including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained in not more than two sittings.
- UTME subject combination: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and English Language.
- UTME cut-off mark: While BIU sets a general cut-off mark of around 160 to 180 for most undergraduate programmes, regulated and highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Law, and Nursing require a notably higher score, generally around 200, reflecting the competitiveness and admission quota constraints tied to these programmes.
- First-choice institution selection: BIU generally gives preference to candidates who select the university as their first choice in JAMB, though candidates should confirm directly with the admissions office whether second-choice applications are considered for a given session.
- No Post-UTME screening: Unlike many Nigerian universities, BIU does not conduct a separate Post-UTME screening exercise. Admission is determined primarily by the candidate’s UTME score, correct O’Level subject combination, and selection of BIU as the institution of choice, alongside submission of required documents through the university’s admission portal.
Duration and Structure of the Programme
Medicine and Surgery at BIU follows the standard structure applied across Nigerian medical schools, running for six years divided into a preclinical phase covering foundational sciences such as Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, followed by a clinical phase involving rotations across major specialties, including Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, and Community Medicine. Upon successful completion and passing of the Professional Examinations now enabled by the recent MDCN accreditation, graduates proceed to a mandatory one-year housemanship at an accredited teaching hospital before applying for full registration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Why BIU’s Medical Programme Costs More Than Its Other Courses
The wide gap between Medicine and Surgery fees and BIU’s general undergraduate fees reflects the operational realities of running an accredited medical school. Medical education requires functional laboratories for dissection and pathology, simulation equipment for clinical skills training, a sustained affiliation with a teaching hospital for clinical rotations, and a significantly higher ratio of specialized academic and clinical staff compared to non-medical faculties. The recent increase in BIU’s medical admission quota from 50 to 100 students, following the MDCN’s approval, also signals continued institutional investment in expanding the infrastructure and staffing needed to support a growing cohort of medical students, costs which are reflected in the tuition structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benson Idahosa University’s Medicine and Surgery programme accredited?
Yes. As of 2026, the programme holds full clinical accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, allowing the university to conduct Part II and Part III Professional Examinations and graduate medical doctors.
How much does Medicine and Surgery cost at BIU per session?
School fees for Medicine and Surgery at BIU range from approximately ₦5,029,000 to ₦6,500,000 per session, making it the most expensive programme at the university.
Can medical students pay their fees in installments?
Yes. BIU allows students to pay at least 60 percent of their sessional fees before first-semester registration, with the remaining 40 percent due before the second semester begins.
What is the required UTME score for Medicine and Surgery at BIU?
While BIU’s general cut-off mark sits around 160 to 180, regulated professional courses such as Medicine typically require a considerably higher score, generally around 200, due to limited admission quotas and high competition.
Does the school fee for Medicine and Surgery include hostel accommodation?
No. Hostel accommodation is billed separately from tuition at Benson Idahosa University and is not included in the medicine and surgery fee figures.